


Part 6 The Deer Hunter

by xxxRIPLEYxxx



Series: The Princes of Midgard [6]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Loki - Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Avenger Loki, Bottom Loki (Marvel), Dirty Talk, Explicit Sexual Content, Light Bondage, Loki is a goddam mess, M/M, Multi, NSFW Art, Oral Sex, Past Rape/Non-con, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Top Bucky Barnes, Top Steve Rogers, Whipping, frostwintershield
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-12-16 22:13:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21043622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxxRIPLEYxxx/pseuds/xxxRIPLEYxxx
Summary: Bucky and Steve try to help Loki overcome the PTSD he doesn’t think he has. Loki is a champ at reading people, with the obvious exception of himself, and he's starting to become a danger to himself and those around him.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Aivelin for this beautiful art. Check out his work on [Tumblr](http://aivelin.tumblr.com)

Loki, being Loki, was doing a brilliant job of assuring himself that there was nothing bothering him that he couldn’t handle. You didn’t live a thousand years as the God of Mischief and keep your sanity (more or less) unless you were also the God of Compartmentalization. But, Bucky knew his tells and Steve was learning. When he started spending long periods alone, something bad was going to happen and Bucky knew it before Loki did. The god was volatile at the best of times, but right now he was a bomb whose fuse was burning short, and there had already been one rough night when he’d woken from a nightmare with a dagger in his hand and nearly stabbed Bucky. The only saving grace was that the dagger hit the edge of the metal on his shoulder instead. But, at the moment, Loki was convinced he had everything under control. 

He loved being naked outdoors in winter. The quiet of the snow-covered forest reminded him of Asgard and his youth, when he'd spent time alone exploring, leaving behind the responsibilities of palace life. Being in his Jotunn form out here was primal and invigorating and it felt right. He’d been up before dawn this morning, leaving James and Steve under a light sleep spell so he wouldn’t disturb them, and was hunting dinner with his bow. He had intended on maybe a hare or two when he spotted an injured deer. One of its hind legs was broken and bloody, dangling at a horribly abnormal angle, so he decided to put it out of its misery and take enough meat for a good while. He lined up and loosed an arrow into its eye, granting it a swift and merciful death. Before hefting it over his shoulder, he bowed his head and said a brief thanks to the Landvaettir, the nature spirits.

He didn’t teleport back with the deer, choosing instead to walk home, relishing the feel of light snow against his skin and the crunch of it under his bare feet. Warm blood from the deer’s leg and head trickled down his back and thigh, and though he’d done this many times before, this time something felt different. When he touched the blood and looked at his fingers, a jolt of blackness flashed over him. He was back in the cage in the dark, hands cuffed to the bars, and someone was behind him. The taste of his own blood and the sound of a zipper stopped him in his tracks. He dropped the deer and leaned back against a tree, breath coming in sharp, urgent gasps. He closed his eyes, willing his heart and lungs to slow. 

When he opened them, James was there in front of him, shirtless and barefoot. It struck Loki as odd because after all his Winter Soldier time, James was not a fan of the cold.He wasn’t especially surprised to see him there, though, because James was  good at stealth; better than either he or Steve, and he liked to sneak up on them occasionally and remind them of that. 

Bucky had never seen him in his Jotunn form, and seemed completely entranced. Without a word, he pressed up against Loki, and the warmth of his skin penetrated through the cold and dampness. Loki began to relax as hands gently moved over his arms, his torso, and his ass. Bucky knew exactly how to use that metal hand to make Loki moan; knew how and where he loved to be touched and pressed and stroked. The piercing blue of Bucky’s eyes penetrated into the red embers of Loki’s, and he felt desire begin to stir. He unsnapped James’ pants and reached into them, encircling the hard cock with his fist. Bucky just smiled, gently pulled the hand away, and dropped to his knees. His hands cupped each butt cheek as he kissed and bit his way down one thigh and up the other. Loki’s head fell back against the tree and he closed his eyes. Bucky’s heat and desire were slowly overriding the anxiety that had overwhelmed him momentarily, and he let them consume him—let the sensation of soft lips on his cock and then hot suction take him away. His breath quickened again, but this time from lust and not panic. He loved James’ mouth almost as much as he loved his ass, and it didn’t take long for him to climax. Bucky swallowed down Loki’s cum until there was no more to swallow, and his mouth pulled away, kissing the shaft and tip as he went. When Loki’s eyes opened, Bucky was already disappearing back into the thick forest. He had not uttered a word.

Feeling sated and relaxed, if a little confused, Loki slung the deer over his shoulder again and headed home. 

*****

It was still early morning when Bucky woke. Loki was gone,having dipped out early to hunt, leaving him and Steve in a warm, comfortable bed. He felt happy and rested, as he usually did when Loki used the sleep spell on him. It was seldom enough he didn’t have nightmares, and even though they were much milder than they used to be, he was always glad of the serene sleep the spell granted him. 

He smiled softly as he gazed down at Steve, who was sleeping on his belly with one knee pulled up to his chest, his breathing deep and regular. He always seemed a little more susceptible to deep sleep from the spell, and Bucky envied him that. He slid the covers off and drank in the sight of golden skin over hard muscle, the round firmness of his ass, and the power of those thighs. My God, he’s gorgeous, Bucky thought. If he’d had to choose between Steve’s and Loki’s looks, he wasn’t sure if he could do it. They were nearly polar opposites, but each perfection in his own way. He felt damn lucky to have them. 

He ran a metal finger softly down Steve’s spine, then rested his hand on the globe of his ass. Moving slowly and quietly, he positioned himself between the spread legs and leaned over, warm breath on the sensitive skin of his lower back. He kissed and nipped at the ridges of muscle on either side of his spine, leisurely making his way down. His tongue began to lick soft stripes from balls to tailbone, tongue pushing in a little harder with each lick, until Steve was moaning in his sleep. 

“You don’t need to wake up, Steve. It’s just a dream.”

His tongue continued up and down, circling around and then dipping into the pink ring of muscle between his ass cheeks until Steve’s breathing quickened. It  _felt_ like a dream and his eyes stayed closed as he let Bucky fuck him with his tongue. It pushed past his rim, warm and wet, as a metal hand slid under him between his legs to grip his hardening cock. Soft little moaning whimpers were barely audible as Bucky’s hand began to stroke. His tongue teased and pressed and rubbed against the sensitive tissue as his hand moved faster, until Steve was squirming under him, pushing backwards into his tongue. 

Half-awake, hips rolling back and forth between tongue and hand, Steve came with a soft groan and then sank back into the semi-dream state he’d been in; that half-wakeful hazy time when everything seems golden and tranquil.

“_Mmmm_...that was nice. Thank you, Bucky Baby,” he murmured sleepily into his pillow and his breathing went back to a deep and regular rhythm. 

“You’re welcome,” he said, smiling as he got a towel and cleaned up the wet spots on the sheet. He was happy to hear Steve use that name for him again. It had been awhile. 

He got up and padded to the kitchen to make coffee. As he was sipping and looking out the window, Loki appeared out of the woods carrying a deer, and dropped it in the snow. Bucky gasped and stepped outside.

“Holy shit! Loki! Why have I never seen you like this before? You’re fucking gorgeous!”

He stared at Loki, eyes raking up and down appreciatively. His dick went hard as he studied the patterns, the red eyes, the ice-blue skin, the cut of his muscles that was even more prominent with the blue color. He was completely fascinated.

Loki looked at him quizzically.

“What are you talking about? You just saw me half an hour ago.”

“What? I’ve been here in bed with Steve since you left. Are you ok?”

“Of course. I’m fine. I’m going to dress this deer and then I’ll be in.”

“Would you like some help?”

“No, I’ve got it. Drink your coffee.”

He evaded any more questions, at least for the time being. It hadn’t been a hallucination. It had been real. Hadn’t it?

Bucky nodded and stepped back inside. He heard Steve stirring in the bedroom, so he poured another cup of coffee and took it to him. 

“Have you ever seen Loki in his Frost Giant form?” Bucky asked.

“No. Have you?” 

“I just did, for the the first time. He was out naked bow-hunting in his Jotunn skin and I saw him when he got back. Gave me an instant hard-on, that’s for sure,” he grinned.

“But, here’s the weird thing. He said I saw him earlier this morning out in the woods, and I was here with you the whole time.”

“Mmhm. I vaguely remember that,” Steve said, sipping his coffee, his eyes smiling over the rim of the cup.

None of them bothered much with clothes as long as they were indoors. The fireplace kept it very comfortable for their superhuman bodies and Steve strolled naked to the big window in the back of the house to watch Loki work on the deer. Butchery wasn’t exactly a mood enhancer, but he had to admit that blue body with all the geometric patterns was eye candy; even more than Loki normally was. He opened the back door and gave a big New York style wolf whistle. Loki turned his back to them and slapped himself on the ass, laughing, and left a bloody handprint. Apparently, he was familiar with that particular American custom, and Steve grinned. 

“He seems ok now,” Steve shrugged and headed back to bed to finish his coffee.

*****

It stopped snowing later that afternoon. Loki had been making a point of doing physical work in order to keep his mind occupied, so he was busying himself chopping wood,back in Jotunn form. Steve and Bucky stepped out of the house in jackets and sweats.

“We’re going for a run. You want to join? “ Steve asked.

“I need to finish up here,” said Loki.

“Come with us and then we’ll help you,“ said Bucky.

“It’s fine. You two go ahead.” 

Loki kept chopping as they headed off through the woods, and he fell into a steady rhythm, the axe making a cracking sound as it split the logs. The sound of the axe became the sound of gun shots—the bones of his legs shattering under him, crippling pain, bullets hitting James’ chest, his blood pumping out onto the rocks as he lay there dying.

The pain and shock sent him to his knees, and when he looked up, Rogers was running back towards him from the woods where he and James had just gone. Steve stopped in front of him and dropped to his knees, too. He pulled Loki to his chest, engulfing him with strong arms, surrounding him, protecting him, holding his head until his breathing slowed to normal. 

Once it did, he buried a hand in Loki’s hair, pulling him in for a kiss, slow and gentle at first, then another; deeper, more needy, and another; until they were both moaning and panting. Steve stood up and pushed down his sweatpants and Loki grabbed his cock, sucking like he’d never tasted cock before and couldn’t get enough. The feel of Steve’s thick erection filling his mouth drove all other thoughts from his mind, and he kept sucking until Steve shot so much cum into his mouth that he couldn’t swallow it all. He licked it off his lips and ran the back of his hand across his chin, but something here was different, too, and he couldn’t pin down what it was. Before he had a moment to think about it, Steve had kissed him, turned on his heel and run back into the woods; presumably back to re-join James.

He finished chopping the rest of the wood uneventfully and was sitting cross-legged in the snow meditating when James and Steve re-emerged from the woods. He looked up as they approached.

“Have you been together this whole time?” 

“Yeah, we’re pretty well-matched on pace. Why?” Asked Bucky.

Loki shook his head, not understanding, but not willing to admit anything was amiss.

“Just wondering. I thought I saw Steve by himself for a moment.”

“Nope. We’re always neck-and-neck,” Steve said with conviction. 

His eyes met Bucky’s and he nodded slightly. 

“Come join us in the sauna. You’ve done enough work for today,” he said to Loki, who nodded and unfolded himself to follow them. He shifted back to his normal form as they entered the sauna. 

“I was hoping you’d stay that way for awhile. Not that you aren’t gorgeous like this, but wow...” said Bucky. 

“Maybe later, but I can’t take the heat in that form,” he shook his head.

A few minutes of silence passed with Bucky ladling water onto the hot stones until Steve spoke up.

“Ok, Loki...I’m not very good at being subtle, as you know, so I’m just going to come out with it. What’s going on with you?”

“Nothing. Nothing’s going on,” he answered, but didn’t meet Steve’s eyes. 

“Is it PTSD? Hallucinations, maybe?”

“PTSD?”

“It’s originally a term used for soldiers. It means Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It’s when you experience something really terrible and sometimes things trigger memories that make you see things or hear things or overreact to things. Like what’s been happening to you.”

Loki snorted derisively.

“I’m a god, Rogers, not some human weakling.”

“I know you have nightmares about the people you killed when you were under Thanos’ influence, and you have nightmares about killing your father Laufey. Bucky still has nightmares about killing Tony’s parents, and he’s superhuman. Doesn’t make either of you weak.”

“I’ll take it under consideration.” 

He closed his eyes and leaned back, letting the steam engulf him, and Steve knew it was pointless to keep going. He’d have to trust that Loki would get there eventually.

****

“Fuck! Steve! It’s happening again,” Bucky said in a choked whisper as he woke from a sound sleep with Loki’s hand tightening around his throat.

Steve pried Loki’s hand away, but just as he did, the other hand launched a fireball at the mirror on the opposite wall from the bed. It shattered and pieces flew everywhere. They each grabbed an arm and pinned it to the mattress.

“Loki! Wake up! You’re safe. It’s James and Steve.”

Steve spoke softly into the god’s ear, having learned the first time that being loud only made it worse.

Loki woke with a start, eyes wide and panicked, and realized he was not in a cage and these were not Boss and his henchman. James and Steve each had a strong hold on his arms and it was comforting, so he concentrated on willing the images away and slowing his breathing.

“I’m sorry...I just...I thought...”

“Nightmares. About the rape. It’s getting worse, isn’t it?” Bucky asked.

That was the first time any of them had actually said the word aloud and Loki broke down sobbing. They held him until he finally stopped and used a sleep spell on himself. They each kept a hand on him as he slept and Bucky’s eyes met Steve’s.

“Did you know about his memory? It’s eidetic, but it’s even more than that. Anything he remembers has all the sensations with it, too. When those memories hit him, he feels all that pain over and over again. Watching me die, being whipped nearly to death and being raped, like it’s really happening all over again. I’m surprised he isn’t a fuck-ton crazier than he is, to be honest.”

“No, I didn’t know,” Steve said. “That has to make it ten times worse. So, what do we do?”

“I’m not sure. But, we’ll figure it out.”

*****

The next day at breakfast, Loki was subdued, but a lot more willing to listen and talk, and resigned himself to opening up a little. 

“Tell us exactly what happened yesterday when you saw each of us.”

“I should have known they weren’t real.You didn’t speak, and you were barefoot in the snow.”

Loki explained everything, down to the sexual details, and the other two were thoughtful for a few minutes until Bucky finally spoke.

“It’s not exactly a secret that you’re a...how do I say this...a highly sexual being. You fucking _love_ sex, right? I think the blood triggered a flashback and your subconscious decided sex was the best way to deal with it, so it conjured me up to give you an imaginary blowjob. Similar situation with Steve when you were chopping wood. And both times, it worked. Sex kind of overwrote the bad memory and you were able to overcome it.”

“Kind of like what Tony explained to me one time about computers,” Steve said, excited that he understood the reference.

“You can overwrite a program. Maybe we can work with that. Is there any chance at all you’re ever going to talk about this with anyone else?”

“No. It’s bad enough that I have to talk about it with you. But, if I don’t, I could end up hurting one of you.”

Steve sighed and nodded. 

“Ok, I know. I just had to hear you say it. What if we overwrite your reactions to the triggers with our own story?”

“What do you remember about what made it better?” Bucky asked.

“It got better when you took charge. Like when you held me down. When I didn’t have to think.”

“Ok. We can help you.  The only catch is that you have to put yourself in our hands and do what we say when we say and believe we know what we’re doing. Can you do that?” Steve asked, and Loki almost smiled. 

“How can I not? I asked no less of you and you did it for me.”

*****

Loki was outside doing...something alone, again.

“I hope you’re right about this, Steve. You know he’s capable of killing us both if this goes too far sideways. I don’t mean intentionally, but still...”

“I hope I’m right, too,” he said with a faint smile, and explained what he wanted to do. 

“We’re going to put him in a submissive state of mind and push him a little to see what happens. We’ll be right there if something does. You brought a weapon, right?”

“Does a bear shit in the woods? I have my Glock, but I’m not going to use it on him, just so we’re clear. Not now, not ever,” said Bucky.

“I don’t expect you to. He means a lot to me, too, you know, or I wouldn’t be here. How’s that for irony? Captain America and Loki are friends with benefits now.” 


	2. Chapter 2

Bucky was cooking dinner and Steve was taking a shower. They had left Loki under instructions not to move and to use the time to do whatever he needed to do to get mentally prepared. 

He was kneeling in the middle of the living room; naked, knees apart, hands on thighs; everything he demanded from his subs. He could not let it be said that he wouldn’t do what he asked of others. And, at James’ request, Jotunn. He had agreed, even knowing it would be more difficult to get in the proper mindset as Jotunn, because it meant a lot to James. He could handle it. He cleared his mind as best he could, because he  did believe in Steve and James, and had decided that the deeper his commitment, the greater the chance of success. If this didn’t work, he may have no choice but to consult a healer, and the whole idea of presenting himself as a victim was beyond him. He  _could not._

At dinner time, Loki knelt on the floor between Bucky and Steve, eating what he was given. Steve especially seemed to enjoy hand-feeding him and allowing him to lick his fingers when given a bite. He was determined to get him in the right frame of mind and that meant willing subservience and submission. The God of Mischief had taught him well. 

After dinner, Bucky instructed him to clean up without using magic, and with a barely-suppressed huff of annoyance, he did it. As he was hand-washing the last pan, Bucky came up behind him, laying a hand on each hip and running his fingers up and down the outsides of his thighs.

“You know I'm not going to be able to resist this. You may as well drop and suck my cock right now.” 

This being one of Loki's favorite things to do, he didn't resist. Bucky was already hard and his erection sprung out of his pants when Loki unbuttoned them. With red eyes meeting blue ones, he inhaled James' superhero scent and began to lick and suck until his own cock was hanging hard in front of him. Just as he took Bucky's whole length in his mouth, there was a CRACK CRACK CRACK sound behind him. Steve had fired the Glock out the back door into the ground. 

Loki's eyes moved to Steve, but there was otherwise no reaction. The sound didn't trigger anything, and Bucky looked at Steve and shrugged, then let Loki continue. He might as well enjoy himself. Steve quietly walked up and stood behind Loki while he deep-throated Bucky, but there was no reaction to that, either. The only thing that happened was that he was getting hard, too, watching the Jotunn suck Bucky. The geometric patterns on his back and arms were glowing faintly, then more brightly as he became more aroused. When Bucky groaned and came in his mouth, the patterns pulsed bright gold. Loki hadn’t been kidding when he said sucking superhero cock was one of his favorite things to do. 

“You can stand up now and kiss me,” said Bucky, still breathing hard. 

“Fuck, that was hot. Red eyes, glowing stripes...I might need you to do this more often.” He grinned.

“Did you feel any anxiety at all?” Asked Steve.

“None, other than wondering what I’m going to do with this now.” He motioned to his substantial erection. 

“We’ll see. Go open up your secret door in the bedroom,” Steve said. 

“Secret door?” Asked Bucky, tucking himself away and following the other two into the bedroom. 

Loki waved his hand and a previously invisible door opened on the wall. He led the way in.

“Holy shit,” said Bucky. 

“I’m jealous now. You and Steve were here without me?”

“It wasn’t here the first time you were. I’d just put it in before I got Steve’s letter.”

“You’re gonna make that up to me later.”

“I can make it up to you now. What more can I offer you than a subservient Jotunn at your command?” His eyes were nearly black, pupils blown, and  Bucky didn’t need any time to think about that.

“Hands on the wall, shoulder-width apart. Spread your legs.”

He reached between Loki’s thighs and palmed the hard length, then gave his balls a gentle squeeze. 

“No restraints for now, ok? But, don’t move.”

He selected a braided leather whip and showed it to Loki. It was more substantial than the flogs, but not as wicked as the one he’d last used. Bucky unbuttoned Steve’s shirt, slipped it off him, and kissed him hard, then handed him the whip.

“Don’t be gentle,” he said. “Make him come. He can do it. But, if anything’s gonna trigger him, this should be it.”

Loki’s back stiffened at the first blow, all his muscles tensing as he worked to keep from breaking position. 

“We’ve got you. Nothing bad is going to happen,” said Steve.

By the third hit, he started to relax and the patterns began to glow faintly again.He stuck his hands to the wall with magic so he wouldn’t move.

“God, you’re beautiful like this. It’s making me hard just looking at you,” Steve said, knowing he spoke the truth and wasn’t just saying it for encouragement. 

By the sixth hit, Loki was floating, the patterns glowing more brightly, and his cock was dripping. It was  _good_ , and Steve was feeling it, too. He grabbed Loki by the hair and twisted his head around to kiss him, covering his mouth possessively. 

“You’re mine,  now, Loki, and I like it.”

_“_ _Ja...jeg er din...anything_ _._”

He was having trouble speaking English now. 

“What I want is for you to come. Can you do that for me?”

Another blow, this time across his ass, harder, leaving a purple stripe.

_“_ _ Ah...yes..vil du knull meg _ _?_...will you fuck me?”

“Not until you come once for me. I know you can do it.” 

Another hit across his ass, and the patterns were pulsing gold now, the head of his cock dark purple, it was so engorged. He  wanted Steve inside him, so if he had to come first to get that, he’d do it. As more blows came across his ass, his back, he thought about the time he’d ridden Captain America, and that brought him so close...

“Come for me, Loki, and I’ll fuck you. Do it  now .”

The mental image of Steve pounding into him was all it took, along with one more strike across his ass. He came all over the wall and the floor. He was panting and his eyes were glowing blood red, and Bucky pulled his head back by his hair to kiss him. 

“Good Jotunn. I knew you could do it.”

Loki never softened; he was still hard when Steve pushed into him.  Without even making a conscious decision to do it, he lubed himself just enough, so he could really feel it. 

“My God...Loki...you’re so  _tight_ ...just like I remember...”

Steve wasted no time slowly working up to it. He knew what he wanted and Loki wanted it, too. Hard and fast and rough.

“ _ Ah...ah...faen meg hardt. ..” _

Bucky reached a hand in front of Loki to stroke him in time to Steve’s rhythm, and within another minute, he came again, hard, spraying the wall, clenching around Steve and pushing him over the edge. He spilled deep inside Loki, moaning and sweating, and fucked him through his orgasm as well as his own.  Loki’s forehead was against the wall as Steve slowly slid out of him, and his legs trembled.

“Don’t move,” said Bucky, stepping up behind Loki as Steve moved away.

“I’m gonna fuck you now, while you’re still soft.”

Loki was still soft, but Bucky was rock-hard and dripping, and he slammed it in, knowing Loki was slick with Steve’s cum, and that somehow made it even better. His balls were full and heavy and pressed up against Loki, and he groaned with the pleasure of being all the way inside him—inside this god he worshipped and right now controlled. 

“ Ah...oh,  _fuck..._how are you still so tight?” 

Loki’s legs were still shaking and his weight was mostly supported by his hands on the wall now. Bucky’s metal fingertips raked down his back, digging into the sensitive dark purple stripes, and he moaned.

“_Gods, yes_..._yes._..I can come for you again.  _Jeg vil,” _Loki said in a raspy whisper.

“Yeah? I don’t really care if you come. I just want to fuck you, because you need to know I own you like you own me.”

To be used at James’ whim, at Steve’s...that sent a new, deeper submission flowing through him. He’d never wanted that before, but he wanted it now.To  belong to them as they to him,just as the binding meant it to be.

“ _Take what you want—what’s yours.Jeg er din.” _

He arched his back to give Bucky more and moaned as his cock dragged over his prostate, sending shivers up his spine. He knew he  was going to come again, because it felt like all his pent-up anxiety was draining out of him, about to come pulsing out through his dick. Bucky pounded into him, chasing his own pleasure, and grabbed Loki by the hips, pulling him back hard against him. With a loud groan, he came, and kept thrusting until Loki moaned again and clenched around him, the patterns on his back flashing bright gold again. 

Loki sank against the wall, dangling by his hands, his legs nearly unable to support his own weight for a few moments. He had just come three times in the last few minutes.

“May I be released now?” His voice cracked into a hoarse whisper.

“From this, yes. I know you’re worn out, but there’s one more thing we have to do,” said Steve.

“Go stand there,” said Bucky, pointing at the center post covered in green leather with gold chains attached at the top. At the ends of the chains were the green leather cuffs with gold buckles. Could Loki allow himself to be put back into cuffs, even his own? He didn’t know, but he took a deep breath, walked over and slowly, slowly raised his hands, looking intently into Bucky’s eyes. 

“Trust me,” he said, holding the red gaze for a moment, then pulling Loki’s head toward him for a kiss. Loki was breathing fast, heart racing, with a mixture of trust, anticipation, and fear. Bucky wrapped the cuffs around his wrists and buckled them.

“Color?” Asked Bucky.

“Green. I’m all right.” 

Steve kissed him, too.

“Ok. Then, I’m going to put this on you now,” and held up a blindfold. 

Loki stiffened slightly, but nodded, and Steve slipped it over his eyes, then tied it tightly enough that it could not be easily rubbed off. Bucky and Steve looked at each other and nodded.

“Ok; we’ll be right back. You’ll be fine,” said Bucky in a soft voice as they both quietly backed away to stand at the door. 

Nothing happened for a few minutes. Then, Loki started getting agitated, fidgeting, pulling at the cuffs and tilting his head, trying to hear  something. _Anything_.

“James? Steve? I know you’re there. You wouldn’t leave me alone in the dark like this.  _Please, don’t leave me__!_”

The blackness was unbearable. They  _couldn’t_ leave him here...

“_No...stop...I don’t have it_ ...”

The Boss was there behind him and the metal rod was jabbing into his ribs, burning and making his body convulse, and he knew what was coming next. _Pain. Blood. Rape._ He twisted and jerked hard at the cuffs, and would have broken out of them if they hadn’t been magically reinforced.

_“_ _I can’t give it to you...I can’t. Please don’t do this.” _

His voice was panicked and high-pitched, and Steve and Bucky looked at each other quizzically. What can’t he give them? They took a step towards him and froze in their tracks as duplicates of themselves suddenly appeared in front of Loki. Steve was touching him, kissing him, and Bucky was embracing him, running his hands up and down the blue torso. The doubles were dressed identically to what each of them was actually wearing right now. 

Steve touched the duplicate of himself on the arm. It was solid—definitely not an illusion. Somehow, Loki had manifested real flesh and blood bodies that were doing what he needed them to do to help himself. He reached in and pulled the blindfold off. Loki blinked and looked at him, then at the others, and pulled himself together a little.

“They weren’t hallucinations. They  were real,” he said, surprise and wonder in his voice, as Bucky stepped up and pulled his twin around to look him in the face. 

“Shit. You really  are me. Loki, what’s going on?”

“I—I don’t know, exactly. Even making a clone of myself is difficult. I have to concentrate and it costs me a fair amount of energy. I’ve never been able to clone another person before. But, that explains why they didn’t speak. Even my own clone can’t speak.”

His eyes closed for a moment and the clones disappeared. 

“Your subconscious made them because you needed them—needed us,” said Steve. 

“Damn. That’s...fuck, Loki...you can clone people now?”

“Take me out of these cuffs and we’ll see if I can do it when I want to.”

Steve unbuckled the cuffs and Loki stood with his back to the post, eyes closed and hands clenched at his sides. The patterns on his skin began to glow faint gold again, and in about a minute, another Steve appeared. One more minute and another Bucky did, too. 

“Holy shit,” Bucky said. 

“Yeah,” said Steve. 

Loki blinked once and both duplicates faded away, and the significance of what he’d just done washed over him. He had cloned other people for the first time in his life. He’d tried and failed many times and now, ironically, what Steve had defined as PTSD had unlocked a whole new level of power. It was exciting and promised many new possibilities; but right now, he was exhausted and wanted nothing more than rest. He could think more about this later.

“Join me?” He asked them as he headed tiredly towards the bathtub and shifted back into his normal form. 

It was already getting a little warm for the Jotunn, and he wanted hot water. As they walked, the tub filled with steaming water and a wonderful fragrance. The scent of cinnamon and jasmine brought back to Steve the first time he’d been in here with Loki. It was a little tight for three, but none of them minded, and they sat in peaceful quiet with the water lapping around them.The tub seemed to be on a kind of magical recirculation system where the cooler water drained out the top and was refilled by hot water at the bottom, along with the fragrance. It was wonderful. 

Steve leaned forward and touched a hand to Loki’s cheek, and the god’s eyes met his. He didn’t want to break this spell, but he had to ask the question he knew Loki didn’t want to answer.

“What is it you have that they wanted so badly? I know what you told Tony, but that wasn’t the truth, was it?”

Loki hesitated. They deserved the truth, but it terrified him for them to know it.

“You said when you came to Earth you had nothing but the clothes you were wearing after Ragnarok. What could you possibly have?” Bucky asked.

Loki sighed, resigning himself.

“Did you forget who I am, James?”

He extended a hand and the bright, glowing blue cube appeared in his palm.

“Is that...?” Bucky started to ask.

“The Tesseract,” Steve said, shaking his head in disbelief. 

“Yes. The Space Stone.” Loki said. 

“Are you kidding me? You’ve had it the whole time? You  _are_ insane. What if he comes for it himself?” 

“Thanos cut me into pieces, watched me die, then resurrected me over and over again until I agreed to do what he wanted. I’ll never let him take me again. If it ever comes to that, all I need to do is touch him and I can use the Tesseract to take us both out to deep space. I’ll die a hero and children will sing songs about me. What more could a god want?”

“He could want to stay alive as long as possible and be with people who care about him,” said Bucky.

“Don’t worry, James. I have no plans to leave this life anytime soon. You’re stuck with me for as long as you’ll have me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you’re enjoying this series, because I’m having fun writing it. I’m always open to prompts and suggestions. Feedback is so important, and I appreciate it whether it’s positive or negative. 
> 
> It may be 3-4 weeks before the next installment. I’m working on something really special that will include a video, so stay tuned! 
> 
> If you like this, check out my work on other Loki ships: Loki/Tom, Loki/Loki, and Loki/Natasha.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you’re enjoying this series, because I’m having fun writing it. I’m always open to prompts and suggestions. Feedback is so important, and I appreciate it whether it’s positive or negative. 
> 
> It may be a little while until I continue this series. I’ve been putting up a new story (either this series or my others) every couple of weeks for awhile, and I’m trying getting them a little more exposure, because it seems FrostIron is the ship that gets most peoples’ attention. I’m working on a video edit to accompany this.
> 
> Title reference: The Deer Hunter. 1987. Robert De Niro.


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